My neighbor says it’s just too warm,
And it’s making such a perfect storm.
Hot water means hotter air, it means
Big hurricanes everywhere.
And they move water from here to there.
It’s just science, fair & square.
But I don’t care.
I know it ain’t really there!My gov’nor says it’s all BS, AA#dim
It’s all fake science and liberal press. E E7sus4
And my man in the White House says it’s fake, A A#dim
And I know he doesn’t make mistakes! EC#7F#7B7
We’re just too big and we’re much too great
To get it wrong in the Lone Star State.
So I don’t care
I know it ain’t really there!

We might have a problem here, A A#dim
Storm of the century every year. E C#m7Bm7
This water is gettin’ old. AA#dim
It ain’t real, but it sure is cold! EC#mF#7B7 —
And I keep hopin it’ll be alright,E E7sus4
Just keepin my eyes shut tight. AA#dim
And I don’t care EC#7
I know it ain’t really there! F#7B7E
I don’t care
I know it ain’t really there!
I know it ain’t really there!

What’s it about? It’s about coming to our senses about the reality of climate change, including many who have in good faith followed political leaders into rejecting any belief in or responsibility for global warming. As we experience increasingly “unprecedented” and destructive extreme weather events, some people are waking up from a trance spun by politicians and news media, and the powerful corporate interests they serve.

At some point, the truth becomes obvious. Many good people in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean basin are coping with a difficult moment of recognition even as they face crushing, mostly uninsured personal losses. They deserve our support. They also deserve leaders who tell the truth and serve them rather than a few wealthy corporations.

Three weeks ago, Hurricane Harvey dumped an astonishing 51 inches of rain on the people of Houston. Harvey was followed within days by Irma, Maria and Jose, and the hurricane season (June 1-Nov 30) is far from over.

Texas politicians, some of the most active opponents of action on climate, include Governor Greg Abbott, Senator Ted Cruz, and Rep. Lamar Smith. Houston is the epicenter of the global oil industry, and connecting the political dots is not difficult.

Harvey is the most costly disaster in US history, estimated at $190 billion.Most of these costs are uninsured, landing squarely on the people of Texas. Before Harvey, the costliest US disaster was Katrina, from which New Orleans has not fully recovered. Sandy was devastating to New York, and could easily have been Providence or Boston. Sixty million Americans live in coastal cities, all playing Russian Roulette with increasingly menacing storms going forward.

Politicians often claim that fossil fuels are essential to our economy. In the 21st century, this is no longer true. Today, the carbon economy has become exceedingly dangerous.Just as the real cost of smoking includes cancer and heart disease, the real cost of the carbon economy includes extreme hurricanes, wildfires, pollution, climate mitigation, and, ultimately, the destruction of capital represented by some of America’s greatest cities. This is no bargain.

It’s time to start paying less attention to politicians and more attention to science. The basic facts of climate change are quite simple: Earth is warmer than it used to be, mainly from fossil fuel combustion. Half of all fossil fuel combustion in human history has happened since 1986. For hurricanes forming in the Atlantic, further warming of equatorial waters is like adding jet fuel. Warmer water means warmer air, which holds more moisture and adds energy to the forming hurricane. The result is storms that are bigger, have higher winds, and move more water from one place to another. The basics are not difficult. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise!